Chronicles Of The Dragonborn
by SLRthechosen
Summary: Sequel to Return Of The Dragonborn. 5 years after the defeat of Alduin, the Chancellor calls the Dragonborn to his aid. As she finds out what he needs, she ventures out into the provinces with a bit of help along the way...
1. Prologue

**I've decided to do a sequel to Return Of The Dragonborn.**

**Set five years after the defeat of Alduin...**

**Also, as of next week I'll be updating two times a week: Tuesday & Friday. You'll get two chapters today, one on Friday & the routine will kick in.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

He sits upon his chair, at his desk in his magnificent ship. He sighs: It has been a long week.

He was originally scheduled to attend his cousin's wedding, but a plot was discovered to kill him, so he didn't attend. Or at least, he was advised not to attend.

Only a few hours after the wedding, she had been killed. A courier had come with the unfortunate news. She had supposedly been crushed by one of the stone figureheads that lined the castle.

Then he was supposed to attend a dinner party, but due to the recent events, an impersonator was sent in.

He was poisoned by the food prepared by the so-called 'Gourmet'. Guards say that they killed the Gourmet, but he was concerned about the fact that someone was trying to kill him.

Rising from his chair, he retires to his chambers, hoping that he would be in Cyrodiil in a few days. He prefered the warm air of the Imperial City to the harsh, cold climate of Skyrim.

As he entered his chambers, he heard the sound of the door to his room opening. At first, he though it was one of the servants.

But, as he turned around, he soon realised that this wasn't one of his servants.

Or his guards.

Or even a member of the crew.

The figure was clad in some sort of armour that looked foriegn. Silver, with scratches along the sides. He was wearing a helmet, that was adorned with several plates of what appeared to be steel, giving it an almost ornate appearance. However, he had his sword drawn...

Which was dripping with blood.

'The Dark Brotherhood?' He questioned.

The figure approached him. 'Not the Dark Brotherhood,' The figure said. He grabbed the man by his collar, lifting him off the ground. 'Something worse,' The figure growled.

The figure watched as a horrified look took over the man's face. He tried to scream, but he didn't have the chance as the sword was run through his chest.

* * *

**So, I figured the best way to open the story would be with a major plot point. Because in this story: The Dark Brotherhood didn't kill the emperor... Read & review. Chosen out.**


	2. Part I: Port Windhelm

As the ship docked at Windhelm, the young Imperial woman stepped off the ship. She looked like the average Imperial, with the only exception that she had red hair. She wore regular clothing, with a cloak to protect her from the wind. The only thing that stood out was the leather boots & bracers. She shivered: Windhelm did live up to being the coldest city in Skyrim, Even colder than Winterhold, which was situated in the far north.

Looking around, she saw a few Argonian dockworkers. Being one of the 'beast' races of Tamriel, it was common for them to be found outside the city walls in Skyrim, due to several Nords being...racist.

She just hoped that the person she was looking for had a different outlook on such things.

'Excuse me,' she asked one of the dockworkers. The lizard looked up at her, meeting her gaze with his yellow eyes.

'Do you know a Redguard that lives here?' She asked.

'The Nords don't allow us inside the city,' He said. 'Ask one of the guards,'

'Thank you,' She said, walking away.

The Argonian shook his head as he went back to work, muttering something.

There were a few guards walking around. She approached one of them. 'Excuse me,' she said.

'What do you need, Imperial?' he asked.

'Do you know a Redguard that lives here?' She asked.

'Yeah,' The guard said. 'The mage. Goes by the name Cormer,'

'Thank you,' she said, walking away from the guard. She approached the massive gates, & entered the city.

* * *

As she entered the city, she couldn't help but be stunned at the sight of the architecture. The White Gold Tower was impressive back in Cyrodiil, but this was a new sight for her. She never expected Ysgramor's city to be this big.

She took out the paper that had the mage's room number on it.

_Room 5. Candlehearth Hall, Windhelm_

Luckily, she didn't have to look for long, with the inn being in the centre of the city. As she entered the inn, she asked the Inn keeper for the mage. The inn keeper told her all she knew & lead her to his room. After taking her to the room, she knocked on the door.

After a few moments, the door opened. A Redguard around the same height, maybe slightly shorter, wearing mage robes opened the door (Think Marcurio). He had relatively short hair, as most Redguards tend to, & he was clean shaven.

'What can I do for you?' He asked.

'Are you Cormer?' She asked.

'Yes. Why?' He said warily.

'I am Zenia Gratus,' She said. 'I'm here about the message,'

'Ahh, the one the courier had. He came a few days ago. Come in,'

* * *

After a long journey from the Imperial City, Zenia was grateful to finally be resting. Cormer had been able to make some room for her to sit (amongst the many scattered scrolls, paper & several targets). Despite the room being atrociously small, there seemed to be enough room for both of them.

They sat down to a bowl of horker stew, which Zenia ate gratefully, happy to have a warm meal for once.

'So,' Cormer began. 'The note says the Chancellor needs the Dragonborn urgently,'

'Yes,' Zenia said. 'Do you know her?'

'We know each other,' Cormer said. 'She has helped me in the past, with my work,'

'Do you know where she is?'

'Not right now. I haven't seen her in two years since...well, I'm certain you wont want to hear about that,'

Zenia gave him a curious look. 'Hear about what?'

'It's a long story,'

There was a brief pause. Cormer then spoke again:

'But I know who will know where she is,'

'Who?' Zenia said hopefully

'Harbinger Ronan Oakblade. Her brother,'


	3. Jorrvaskr

After spending the night in Windhelm, the two of them prepared for the carriage to Whiterun by gathering supplies. Considering they didn't know where the Dragonborn was, so there was a possibility the journey could be a long one.

They boarded the carriage & made the three day trip to Whiterun. After several uneventful days, they made it to the city. They quickly noticed that the layout was completely different as they entered the city. Unlike Windhelm that was cold & completey made of stone, Whiterun was a bit warmer & had more space to move around.

As they wondered around the city, Zenia spoke up:

'Wasn't this the place that the Dragonborn imprisoned Odahviing?' She questioned, pointing to Dragonsreach.

'Yes,' Cormer said. 'See the keep?' He pointed to the mountain. 'That is Dragonsreach. That's where he was imprisoned,'

As they made their way through the plaza, there was a man preaching about how the emperor was assassinated. There were a few people listening, but most of the city was ignoring him. Without the emperor, all of the provinces were in turmoil & were being led by the chancellor, his second in command.

'Do they know who did it yet?' Cormer asked Zenia. 'Considering you're from the Imperial City, you would have some sort of idea,'

'They have an investigation going, but they have little information,' Zenia told him.

'Well, I just hope this doesn't start another crisis*,' Cormer said. 'The last thing we need is Mehrunes Dagon invading again,'

They made their way towards the building on the hill, which Cormer was Jorrvaskr. As they entered, they were greeted by a Nord.

'Welcome to Jorrvaskr,' He said. 'Come to join the Companions?'

'No,' Cormer said. 'But we are here to see Baurest & Maurmon,'

'Follow me,' He said, leading them down some steps.

They followed the man down into the living quarters. They approached a room, where there were two Redguards sitting at a table. They both them & stood up.

'What do you need, Farkas?' One of them asked.

'Here,' He said, steeping away from the door. 'They want to see you,'

Farkas then walked off, leaving them alone.

'What brings you to Jorrvaskr, Cormer,' One of them said. 'And who's with you?'

'Well, she's the reason I'm here Maurmon,' Cormer said.

Maurmon was taller than both Cormer & Zenia. Like Cormer, he was clean shaven. He had slightly longer hair & was wearing Scaled Horn Armour.

Baurest, who was standing next to Maurmon, couldn't be more different. He had short hair like Cormer, & had a small goatee. He was wearing a set of Wolf Armour. Neither of them wore helmets.

'Why is she the reason?' Baurest asked.

'Because I need to see the Harbinger,' Zenia said.

'He's not here,' Maurmon said. 'He'll be back soon though,'

Several hours had passed, & the four of them had gotten into a conversation about what the other provinces were like. Cormer had lived in Skyrim a bit longer than Maurmon & Baurest, so he was interested in how Hammerfell had changed. Zenia also told them about life in Cyrodiil, & how it was different to Skyrim.

Eventually, Farkas came back into the room, drawing their attention.

'Hey,' He said. 'The Harbinger's back,'

'Thank you,' Maurmon said. 'We'll see him shortly,

As Farkas left, Maurmon stood up. 'Well,' He said. 'It's time for you two to meet the Harbinger of the Companions,'

*** A reference to Oblivion. Read & review. Chosen out.**


	4. Harbinger Ronan Oakblade

Entering the hall, They saw that a few of the companions had returned from their trip. Among them, there was a Nord, who looked to be a little young for the title of Harbinger. He was wearing a complete set of Carved Nord Armour, which looked similar to the one that Ysgramor wore, including the helmet. He wore a massive battleaxe, that seemed to be several hundred years old, with what appeared to be a face carved into it.

'Harbinger,' Maurmon greeted as they approached him.

'For the last time Maurmon. You & Baurest are part of the Circle now. Call me Ronan,' He said to him, almost seeming annoyed.

'Yes Har- Ronan,'' Maurmon replied.

Ronan turned to Zenia & Cormer. 'So. Have you tow come to join the Companions? We are looking for recruits. I wont tell you why though. It might change your minds,' He said with a laugh.

'I'm afraid not,' Cormer said. 'But my companion Zenia,' He gestured to Zenia. 'Has a message for you... Oh! where are my manners? I'm Cormer,'

Ronan looked at Zenia. 'You're a long way from the Imperial City,' He said to her. 'Why are you in Skyrim Imperial? Here to see Nordic culture?'

'How did you know I was from the City?' Zenia said, both amazed & a little spooked.

'I can always tell where someone is from,' Ronan said. 'From the way they dress, the way they act & certainly how they speak to others,' He leaned in a bit, bringing himself closer to Zenia's face. 'And that badge you wear on that cloak of yours tells me where you allegiance lies,' he said a little more darkly, sending chills down her spine.

Zenia's widened, remembering the tales of Ronan being a captain in the Stormcloak army. While some of the tales told about him did seem a little farfetched, she knew that there could be some truth to them. She then recovered & handed the scroll to Ronan. Ronan inspected the scroll before speaking again:

'The Imperial seal...are you sure I can read this?' He asked her. 'I don't think my family would like it if a few soldiers came by & told them that I had been killed for looking at Imperial documents,'

'I've already read it & so has Cormer,' Zenia told him. 'You can read it,'

Ronan took his helmet off, revealing the rest of his face. He was growing a small beard & had a scar running down his face, which ran across his eye. He placed the helmet next to him, sat down & began to read:

_To whom it may concern:_

_Chancellor Tinion Quaceius has need of the Dragonborn, Sonia Oakblade. _

_The messanger has been instructed to find her & return to the chancellor as soon as possible. Anyone with knowledge to her whereabouts is to inform this messanger immediately._

_Be warned: Any attempt to assasinate or harm this target is punishable by death. _

_- The Elder Council_

Ronan handed the note back to Zenia. He then stood up.

'I'll tell you where Sonia is,' He said. 'But you're not going alone. I'm coming with you,'

'Are you sure, Harb-Ronan?' Baurest said. 'The roads aren't safe anymore, especially since the death of the emperor,'

'That's why I'm dragging you & Maurmon along with me. If you want,' Ronan said, turning to both of them.

Baurest & Maurmon looked at each other, considering Ronan's offer. 'Alright,' Maurmon said. 'We'll come along,'

'Great!' Ronan said. 'Zenia, Cormer, you two welcome to spend the night in Jorrvaskr, as honoured guests,

'Thank you, sir,' Cormer said gratefully.

'Oh for Talos' sake, call me Ronan,'


	5. Return To Riverwood

**Sorry! I would of updated on Friday, but my dad's internet was down.**

* * *

Leaving at around 10am the next day, they made their way to Riverwood. After talking (And persuading) the blacksmith up at the forge, he had agreed to make Zenia a sword. A few hours later, she was given a steel sword.

'This is no ordinary sword,' The blacksmith said. 'This is Skyforge Steel. Only members of the Companions get one. Consider yourself lucky,'

They were now walking on the path to Riverwood. Despite being in the middle of summer, Skyrim kept it's reputation of being cool even in the warmer regions, so the air was cool. The path was well paved, but showed signs of aging, due to Skyrim's ever changing climate.

After a few hours, they saw a settlement up ahead. Since Sonia, Doria & Ronan returned home from their journey, Riverwood had slowly grown as a town. There were a few more homes, the inn was a bit bigger & there was now an apothecary in town.

As they entered town, Ronan lead them through the streets & towards the back of the settlement, leading them to one of the houses that was there. Outside, there was a man who was sitting on a chair, with a tankard in hand. Despite his youthful appearance, he he looked tired, almost like he hadn't slept in a long time. He looked up at them & smiled.

'It's about time you decided to show up,' He said, standing up.

'I'm sorry for not seeing you earlier,' Ronan said. 'Things have been hectic in Whiterun,'

'So hectic you couldn't visit your uncle, cousin & sister?' He said. 'Your father would be disgusted,'

'Don't drag the dead into this. Now, are you going to greet me or stand here giving me a hard time?' Ronan asked.

The man laughed & pulled Ronan into a hug. 'I'm just messing with you!' He said. 'Doria is around here somewhere. Maybe you can go find her?'

'Where's Sonia?' Ronan asked.

'She's out hunting. Would you care to introduce me to your friends?'

'Well, you already know Baurest & Maurmon,' Ronan began. 'Cormer, Zenia. This is my uncle, Jorgal. Jorgal, Cormer & Zenia,'

'Good to meet some new people,' Jorgal said. 'Things have been dull here lately,'

'Maybe that's a good thing,' Ronan said.

'Regardless. Come in. I'll get you some mead,' Jorgal said, leading them inside.

A few hours passed, & Doria had eventually come back to the house. Sonia still hadn't turned up, but they weren't too concerned: Sonia usuallly returned before nightfall.

It was late in the afternoon & they were spending the outside, talking about the events of the return of Alduin (Zenia was amazed at how the blacksmith in Dawnstar had fixed Doria's leg). Eventually, the conversation lead to the most recent event: The assasination of Titus Mede II.

'Cyrodiil is in turmoil,' Zenia said. 'With no emperor, the province is slowly becoming less & less willing to follow the Chancellor,'

'Cyrodiil isn't alone,' Jorgal said. 'Skyrim already didn't have a High King. Without a true leader, it won't be long until things start taking a turn for the worse. Who knows if Ulfric will try to take the throne again?'

'I hope so,' Ronan said. 'I would fight alongside with him again,'

'I would rather if you didn't,' Doria commented.

'Of course,' Ronan said sarcastically.

'I'm serious!'

'I know, I know,'

There was a brief pause.

'So, any word on the other provinces?' Doria asked.

'Only what I've told you about Cyrodiil,' Zenia said. 'What about Hammerfell?'

'We haven't been there in years,' Baurest said.

'Nothing's changed really,' Cormer said. 'Everything's pretty much remained the same,'

'That's strange,' Maurmon began. 'I could have sworn-'

They were interuppted by a scream. Standing up, they ran into the town center to see the source of the scream...

To see bandits rapidly approaching Riverwood.

* * *

**Again, sorry about the late update. Read & review. Chosen out.**


	6. Defending The Town

As the bandits rapidly approached the town, Ronan, Baurest & Maurmon drew their weapons. Doria drew a dagger & Cormer readied some spells. Jorgal knew better, so he grabbed Zenia, who had drawn her sword.

'What are you doing?' She shouted.

'Come on!' He shouted, dragging her behind one of the houses.

Most of the villiage was running away, into houses or the inn. The fight was in the centre of town, where most of the bandits were centering the attack. The fighters were severely outnumbered, with bandits attacking from all directions. It wasn't long before one of the bandits was able to find a way to fing Jorgal & Zenia hiding behind a house. He smirked at the terrified expressions on their faces.

Zenia attacked, swinging her sword at him. She missed & the bandit disarmed her quickly, now they were at his mercy...

As the bandit raised his axe, there was the sound of a bow being fired. An arrow then embedded itself in his chest. He let out a cry, stumbling back as another arrow found it's way into his chest.

Looking in the direction that the arrow came from, there was a figure on the roof. She put away her bow, gleaming & made of bones. She then drew a golden katana & jumped off of the building, killing a bandit in the process.

Looking around the corner, the fight was in full blow. Cormer & Doria were back to back, Maurmon had two unique swords drawn, Baurest was using two axes, Ronan was using his battleaxe & the archer was fighting with her sword. As she struck each foe, they seemed to catch on fire, burning them as she finished them off.

Eventually, the surviving bandits figured out that they were quickly losing the fight & decided to call off the attack. As they regrouped & ran off, the few civilians that had decided to stay outside cheered.

When they were finally out of sight, Ronan spoke:

'Everyone okay? Is anyone hurt?'

There were a few replies, but no one was seriously injured, much to his relief.

Jorgal & Zenia approached the group. As they approached, they got a closer look at the archer-warrior. She wore a Dragonplate cuirass, Blades gauntlets & boots & was wearing some sort of mask.

'So,' She said to Ronan. 'You've come home & dragged Baurest, Cormer & Maurmon along with you,'

'There's a reason for that,' Ronan said. 'The Imperial has been looking for you,'

'And you are?' She asked, turning to Zenia.

'Zenia Gratus,' Zenia said. 'I'm looking for the Dragonborn,'

'You won't have to look any further,' the archer said, removing the mask. 'I'm the Dragonborn,'

* * *

After helping the village with the recovery, Zenia handed Sonia the letter as they sat on the steps to Jorgal's house.

'It's been opened,' Sonia said. 'Has anyone else read this?'

'It's okay,' Zenia said. 'It hasn't been seen by anyone we can't trust,'

'If Ronan has read this, then we should kill him. We can't trust him,'

Zenia looked horrified. 'But...'

Sonia laughed. 'I was only joking! Why would I kill my brother?'

Sonia then proceeded to read the note. When she was finished, she handed it back to Zenia.

'Well,' She said. 'Looks like the Chancellor isn't so high & mighty now,'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean, that if he wants my help,' Sonia began. 'He's obviously got a problem the Imperial Legion can't solve. It makes sense. They've made no progress on the emperor's murder,'

Zenia didn't know what to say. She did have a point.

'But,' Sonia started. 'It's been a while since I've done some travelling. It'll be nice to see Cyrodiil again. Doria,' She said, turning to her cousin, who had come outside with her father. 'Do you want to come along?'

'I think you should sit this one out,' Jorgal said. 'Remember what happened last time?'

'Father, I'll be fine,' Doria reassured.

Jorgal hesitated. 'If I get a letter saying that you have been killed, maimed or injured, when you & Ronan get back, Sonia,' Jorgal said, turning to Sonia. 'I will kill, maim or injure the two of you,'

'Yeah. I know old man,' Sonia said with a chuckle. 'So, we leave tomorrow,'


	7. Return To The Road

'Bad news,'

They had left the next day & were currently outside of Whiterun. While Sonia was checking the carriage's services, the rest of the group was talking about the events following the defeat of Alduin.

'The driver said that he can only take us out to Windhelm. We'll have to walk the rest of the way,' Sonia said, approaching the group.

'Are you sure there isn't another way?' Maurmon asked.

'He said that unless we want to walk to Dawnstar, we better take the carriage,' Sonia said. 'Personally, I really don't want to be walking that long,'

'Then let's get going,' Ronan said. 'We should have enough gold,'

They approached the carriage. 'Here,' Sonia said, throwing a bag of gold at the driver. 'Take us to Windhelm,'

'Climb on back & we'll be off,' The driver said.

They climbed onto the back of the carriage. Unlike a few years ago, they were now covered to protect the passengers & driver from the weather. It was waterproof, but it didn't keep out the cold.

As the carriage began moving, Cormer spoke up:

'How long until we get to Dawnstar?'

'Two days,' Sonia said. 'Hopefully,'

* * *

Upon their arrival in Windhelm, they immediatley headed into the inn. It was interesting seeing the inn keeper recognise Cormer. They rented some rooms & spent the night in the inn, regretting having to get up in the morning to the bitter cold.

The next day, they began the journey to Dawnstar. Surprisingly, it was a pleasant day despite the cold air, with the sun out & with no sign of a blizzard in sight.

'So, when do you think we will get to Dawnstar?' Zenia asked.

'Depends on the weather,' Sonia said. 'With weather like this, we'll get there in two days. But if a blizzard kicks up, it might take longer,'

'Not to mention there will be wild animals, bandits & Necromancers to deal with,' Ronan added. He then mumbled something about bandits under his breath.

'What about dragons?' Cormer asked.

'Only if they see me,' Sonia said. 'Mind you, I haven't seen one in two years. But I've seen signs that some are alive,'

'What do we do if we see one?' Zenia asked.

'Get ready for a fight,' Sonia said. 'They don't die easy & I'm the only one who can kill them completely,'

As the day went on, they slowly made their way along the path. It was a good couple of hours before they saw some travellers up ahead.

When they got closer, they realised that they weren't travellers. They were soldiers of some sort.

But they weren't friendly.

'There!' One of them shouted, seeing them. 'The Imperial messanger! Get them!'

They soldiers responded by drawing their weapons. As the enemies came towards them, Sonia stepped forward.

'FUS RO DAH!'

They went flying backward, smashing into the ground. As they clambered to their feet, The group had readied their weapons (Or spells).

The fight was over in a few minutes. When the last one fell, they began to search them for anything valuable or any clues as to why they recognised them. Doria found a note on what looked to be the leader of the group.

'Look at this,' She said.

They all gathered around her & began to read. The note said:

_You have your orders. Kill the travelers. They should be somewhere on the road to Dawnstar. For extra pay, retrieve the following items. They can be found on:_

_Harbinger Ronan Oakblade: Wuuthrad (suspected to be carrying Nordic Carved Armour)_

_Dragonborn Sonia Oakblade: Volsung, Goldbrand, Blades Armour (Might be carrying the Elder Scroll. If so, take)_

_Doria Oakblade: Dagger, throwing knives (may be more valuable alive due to knowledge of healing spells & potions)_

_Cormer of Rihad: Mage's Robes, Several valuable scrolls (Might be worth keeping alive as he knows several spells)_

_Maurmon of Sentinel: Family scimitars (Both swords are valuable together)_

_Baurest of Sentinel: Two family war axes (Axes may be useful in a ransom?)_

_On all accounts, take the messenger hostage. ALIVE._

There was no signature. Only some sort of symbol or a sigil.

'What do we do know?' Zenia asked. 'Is someone out to get us?'

'By the looks of things, yes,' Sonia said. 'Ronan, any suggestions?'

'We keep the note,' Ronan said. 'And keep moving,'


	8. Bandits & Werewolves

It wasn't long before night had fallen. They were now camping near the river that was beside the path. Despite Skyrim's reputation of having stormy skies most nights, the night was clear.

'So,' Sonia said to Baurest & Maurmon. 'Ronan tells me you two are part of the Circle now,'

'Yes,' Maurmon said. 'For about two months,'

'Interesting,' Sonia said. She mumbled something under her breath, but no one heard what it was. Ronan looked a little nervous & scanned the area.

'What's wrong?' Doria asked.

'I don't know why,' Ronan started. 'But I feel as if someone or something has been following us for a while,'

'Have you seen anything?' Cormer asked.

'No, but we did pass some ruins a while back,'

'The perfect place for a bandit hideout,' Baurest said.

'Should we go check?' Zenia asked.

'No,' Ronan said, standing up. 'If we went back now, we would either be ambushed or find nothing. It's better to just stay here for the night,'

* * *

As Zenia slept, someone crept into the tent, careful not to wake her. Slowly, the figure made his way towards her, dodging sword placed on the ground. He carefully put his hand over her mouth.

Zenia woke up, startled. She grabbed the intruder's arm, only to find Maurmon covering her mouth.

'Shh,' He whispered. 'Follow me,'

Zenia nodded & got up. Maurmon was already in full armour & had his weapons drawn. Zenia grabbed her steel sword & followed him.

Maurmon slowly opened the tent door, revealing his reason for waking her:

Bandits had surrounded the camp, proving Ronan's theory to be right.

Doria was defending herself, Cormer was...shocking & Sonia was firing arrows at rapid speed.

Ronan & Baurest were nowhere to be found.

'Go to Sonia!' Maurmon shouted running off to the side.

'Where are you going?' Zenia asked.

'It doesn't matter! I'll be fine!,' Maurmon shouted, exiting the tent. 'Go!'

Zenia ran out of the tent, sword in hand. Sonia saw her & covered her.

'Great night we're having!' Sonia said sarcastically.

'Yeah!' Zenia agreed. 'Completely calm!'

Sonia chuckled as she sent an arrow through a bandit's eye.

A bandit approached Zenia. Without thinking, Zenia swung her sword. It struck the bandit's arm, effectively slicing it open. The bandit dropped his sword in agony, giving Zenia the chance to kill him.

Just another one came to take his place, there was a sound that made everyone freeze.

Werewolves howling.

* * *

Everyone turned to look at the cliff that was overshadowing the path. Sure enough, there were three bloodthirsty werewolves.

As the werewolves ran down the side of the cliff to attack the bandits, both Sonia & Doria lowered their weapons & moved away. Cormer ran to join them, & Zenia stood behind them, clearly scared.

The werewolves made short work of the bandits. Some of them died in the original attack, but after the werewolves were done, all of the bandits lay dead.

One of the werewolves turned to face the group. It looked at Sonia & started to morph into a humanoid shape.

Ronan.

Without any armour on.

'Sorry about that,' He said. 'We figured you lot needed a hand,'

'Let me guess,' Sonia said. 'The two werewolves behind you are Baurest & Marmon,'

'Yes,' Ronan said. 'We'll go get dressed. One moment please,'

Once they had returned, they decided to head back to the tents & try to sleep. Just before Zenia went back to her tent, Maurmon approached her.

'Listen,' He said. 'Sorry you had to see that back there,'

'It's okay,' Zenia said. 'Thanks for letting me know we were being attacked,'

'No problem,'

This was followed by a short silence.

'Well,' Maurmon said. 'Sleep well,'

'You too,' Zenia said, smiling.


	9. Old Foes

**Okay guys, something's happened. **

**My school has decided to be a prick & filter the internet at home. **

**This means I can't access Fanfiction, Tumblr or DeviantArt on my school laptop.**

**Because of this, I've decided to go from 4 updates every cycle (2 weeks) to 3 updates. Starting next week, you will get one update on Friday one week & two updates on Tuesday & Friday the other. **

**Other than that, enjoy!**

* * *

'Something's not right,'

The group turned to face Sonia, who was walking behind most of them. They looked at her confused, while she looked anxious.

'What do you mean?' Baurest asked.

'I don't know,' Sonia said. 'It's like...I can't explain it...but...something's not right,'

'Then let's not take any chances,' Ronan said. 'Draw arms,'

They all drew their weapons & readied their spells. They began moving again, only this time a little on edge.

'Do you think there's danger?' Zenia asked Maurmon.

'I wouldn't doubt it,' Maurmon replied. 'When you've lived in a certain place long enough, you tend to know when there are dangers lurking about. Me & my brother have experienced similar feelings back in Hammerfell,'

For an uneasy 5 minutes, they walked along the path, ready for a fight. They had left the river & the mountains behind hours ago, with the landscape now a tundra covered in snow. There were mountains just visible in the distance, with a few trees present. It was much colder & they were more exposed.

Not to mention there wasn't any shelter if a blizzard broke out.

As time went on, they slowly became more & more paranoid. Ronan & Doria both knew that Sonia was a magnet for trouble, from past expeiriance. Now with a larger group & the Imperial messanger, things would only be worse, especially since someone wanted them dead.

'Is it safe?' Ronan asked anxiously.

'No,' Sonia replied. 'In fact, it's wors-'

There was a roar.

They all flinched, & slowly turned & looked behind them...

To see a dragon flying towards them.

* * *

'RUN!' Sonia shouted.

They ran for cover, ducking behind some rocks. The dragon swooped over them, breathing ice aimed at them. As they ducked for cover, the dragon flew overhead.

Sonia sent a few arrows in it's direction. One of them managed to rip the dragon's wing, but not enough to bring it down. The dragon swung around & landed in behind them, causing them to leap over the rocks as it breathed more ice.

Baurest & Maurmon both leapt over the rocks, weapons at the ready. They immediately ran at the dragon, hoping to keep it at bay. While they were doing that, Sonia & Cormer were attacking from a distance, while Ronan lead Zenia & Doria off to the side, hoping that the others would provide a good enough distraction.

As Baurest & Maurmon attacked the dragon, the beast tried to bite them. Maurmon avoided the attack with ease, while Baurest only just got out of the way, leaving the dragon to bite the air.

Sonia sent another arrow into the air, which embedded itself in the dragon's eye. As it reared back in pain, Cormer sent a shock spell into it's neck, temporarily paralysing it. This allowed Baurest & Maurmon to regroup & get ready to continue the fight.

The two Companions held off the dragon a little longer, but the attack soon failed, as the dragon was able to grab hold of Maurmon in his jaws as he just finished his attack.. As the dragon shook him, Maurmon lost conscious & was flung him in Baurest's direction, bringing both Redguards to the ground. Baurest recovered, but was then cut down by a frosty blast, which took him by surprise, bringing him to his knees.

At that moment, Ronan appeared on the dragon's back. He brung Wuuthrad down on the dragon's head. Hard.

There was a sharp 'CRACK!' & while it didn't kill the dragon, it did stun it, allowing Zenia & Doria to attack. They managed to deepen the wound on it's head, but the dragon recovered, & wasted no time shaking the three of them off.

Sonia wasted no time sending another few arrows, thankfully killing the beast permanently.

As the beast died & Sonia began to absorb it's soul, Zenia ran over to Maurmon & Baurest. Baurest was barely awake & Maurmon was still unconscious.

'What do we do?' Zenia asked, concerned.

'I can heal them,' Doria said. 'But it will take time,'

'We'll set up camp here then,' Cormer said.

* * *

Maurmon slowly opened his eyes. He was in a tent, & he was in pain. Looking down, there were a few bandages around his torso, from where the dragon had grabbed him in it's jaws. They weren't bleeding, but they were a bloody red colour.

He sat up, wincing. He looked around, seeing that his armour & weapons was to one side. He also saw a few potions & had no doubt that they were Doria's.

The tent door opened, & Zenia came in.

'You're awake,' she said.

'Yeah,' Maurmon said. 'What happened? Where's Baurest?'

'The dragon is dead,' Zenia began. 'After Sonia killed it, we set up camp. Don't worry: Baurest is fine. Cold, but fine,'

'That's good to know,' Maurmon said, relieved.

Zenia sat down next to him. She gasped when she saw the bandages wrapped around Maurmon's torso & shoulders.

'Does it hurt?' She asked, voice full of worry.

'Just a bit,' He replied. 'Not to worry, it's just a few more scars to the collection,'

There was a small silence. Maurmon then spoke up:

'Can I ask you something?' He said.

'Sure,' Zenia replied.

'Why were you chosen to bring the chancellor the Dragonborn? I mean, wouldn't it be easier to sent a normal courier or a soldier?'

'Because,' Zenia said. 'My father was an Imperial officer,'

'Wait...,' Maurmon said, realising something. 'You're family name is 'Gratus' isn't it?'

Zenia nodded.

'The only officer with that name was...,' Maurmon began.

'Commander Treotas Gratus,'

Maurmon looked amazed. Then a smile appeared on his face. 'Well then,' He said. 'Tell me what happened,'


	10. The Chancellor's Call

**Okay, this chapter is basically Zenia telling the story.**

**Yeah, it's short. I know.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

'It all started when we got news that the Chancellor had been elected to rule Tamriel until a new Emperor was selected or an heir was found,' Zenia began.

'That was around three weeks ago,' Maurmon said.

'As you know, my father was one of the Palace Guards. So he knew the Chancellor due to being in the palace half the time,'

'Was he his bodyguard?'

'No, but he soon became well acquainted with the chancellor when he was promoted to commander,'

'What happened when he retired?'

'He became a blacksmith. He makes the armour & weapons for the watch & repairs them when they break or no longer meet the standards,'

'Do you still live near the palace? Or are you living elsewhere?'

'We live on the Waterfront,'

'With the beggars? How can you trust them with the forge & armour?'

'My father is a well respected man. No one would dare to lay a finger on him,'

'Fair enough. Continue,'

'About a week later, we were summoned to the Chancellor's chambers. When we got there, he began to speak to us:

'I have called upon the two of you because I know I can trust you two,' He said. 'I need one or both of you to relay a message out to Skyrim,'

'What's the message, my lord?' Father asked.

'That I need the Dragonborn to come to the palace immediately,' He replied. 'I have urgent need of her services,'

'How long will it take to get the message across?' I asked.

'A few weeks hopefully,' He replied. 'Come back when you've made your decision. You have until the end of the day,'

We stepped out into the corridor & father turned to me. He then spoke:

'Listen,' He said. 'I want you deliver this message. I'll stay here,'

'But father-'

'I can't leave the Imperial City. The guards need armour & what happens if something goes wrong with the Chancellor? We've already lost the Emperor & Tamriel is already in chaos. I'm too old to go adventuring around Tamriel anyway,'

There was a brief silence between the two of us. 'Are you sure?'

'I know that you can do this,' He said. 'I can't keep you in the city forever. I need you to see Tamriel with you own eyes, not from what I've told you. I may be a good man for stories, but you have to experience things for your self, Zenia,'

After a moment's thought, I looked him in the eyes & told him that I would do it. After I told the chancellor that I would get the message to Sonia, I was given the royal orders & was told to board the next ship to Windhelm, which was the next day,'

'Which leads us to now,'

There was a pause. Zenia looked around the tent & saw through the door that it was quickly getting dark.

'It's getting late,' Zenia said, startled at the realisation of the time. 'I should let you rest,'

'That might be a good idea,' Maurmon said, chuckling. 'Good night,'

'Good night,' Zenia said, leaving. 'Please take it easy for now,'

'I'll try,'


	11. The Blizzard & The Cave

They were on the move again after a few days. Maurmon's condition had improved (Thanks to the healing spells used by Doria), so Doria was able to remove the bandages that were wrapped around his torso. While this did make it easier to move, he still was injured, shown when he went to swing his sword experimentally, causing him to hurt his shoulder, so they were taking it slow for now.

As they began to move, they weather began to change. Being out in the tundra, they noticed this quickly. The wind began to pick up, which made the once silent landscape filled with the howls of hollow wind. As they moved on, the sky became darker & as the wind picked up even more, it became clear they were in the middle of a full blown blizzard.

'Ronan!' Sonia shouted over the howling wind. 'We gotta get out of this blizzard! We'll die if we don't,'

'I know!' He shouted back. 'I saw a cave up ahead. Follow me!'

Ronan lead them into the cave. As they entered, they noticed that it wasn't occupied. It also wasn't overly large, but it was large enough to set up bedrolls & a small fire towards the entrance, allowing the smoke to escape & the heat to remain inside the cave.

'How far is Dawnstar from here?' Baurest asked, sitting down on his bedroll.

'About five hours,' Ronan replied. 'We would of been there by nightfall,'

'Or earlier,' Cormer said.

'When do you think this blizzard will die down?' Zenia asked.

'Who knows?' Doria said. 'It could be anywhere from a few hours to a few days. All we can do is sit & wait,'

* * *

Several hours had passed. The blizzard had died down, but by the time it did, night had fallen. They had decided that the best descision would be to wait until morning before moving on.

They slept. The night was cold, but the heat from the fire was comforting. However, Zenia couldn't sleep. She sighed, sat up & looked around. The first thing she noticed was that Maurmon wasn't in his bedroll. She frowned & looked towards the entrance. He was sitting there, looking out at the sky.

She got up & walked over to him. As she approached, Maurmon looked up to see her sitting next to him.

'Can't sleep?' He asked.

'No,' Zenia said. She looked over to him & realised that he was still in his sleeping clothes, which was only a pair of pants. She could feel her face getting hot as she saw his bare chest & several scars.

'How did you get these scars?' Zenia asked.

'Mostly sword fights,' Maurmon replied. 'Though on the occasion I was attacked by animals or ambushed,'

There was a pause. Maurmon began to watch the Aurora above them. Zenia looked up & watched the northern lights above. She watched as they danced across the sky, lighting it up with it's beautiful light.

'It's a beautiful night,' Zenia said.

'Yes,' Maurmon agreed. 'We never get the Aurora in Hammerfell,'

'We don't get it either in Cyrodiil,' Zenia said.

'What's life like in the Imperial City anyway? Is it any different to here in Skyrim?' Maurmon asked.

'Very. For a start there isn't many places where there's a lot of vegetation,' Zenia began. 'Occasionally you'll see a tree or a bush in a few areas, but most of the city is shops, taverns & homes,'

'Sounds different from Hammerfell,' Maurmon said.

'What's it like? Is it true that it's a large desert?'

'Well, you certainly don't see forests like the ones here in Skyrim,' Maurmon said, chuckling. 'It's a very hostile environment. Sentinel, the city Baurest & I are from, is the trading port of Hammerfell, so there are several markets set around the docks,'

'Are there any plants?'

'A few. Mainly cacti & other plants that need little water, although there are tales of oasises in the desert. They are said to have one or two trees,'

There was a brief silence. Zenia shivered.

'We should probably head inside,' Zenia said.

'Yeah,'

As they went back inside the cave, Maurmon turned to Zenia.

'I'll see you in the morning,' He whispered.

'You too,' Zenia whispered back.


	12. The Heron

**Man, do I hate being sick. **

**At least I can update earlier. You might get another chapter from me today.**

* * *

In the past five years, Dawnstar had gone from a port that was regularly attacked by pirates, to a port that now had proper protection, wit several watch towers in place. There hadn't been a major attack to date, so the locals were at ease.

Entering the town, they were pleased to find out from the dock master that the next ship to the Imperial City was coming into port the next day, so they were free to spend the day in Dawnstar, not having to worry about the cold weather for once. They spent the night in the inn, grateful to be indoors after a brutal journey.

After a night of relaxing in the inn, the ship or 'The Heron' as it was known, was at the docks. The Heron was a well known cargo & passenger ship that ran goods & transported passengers throughout all of Tamriel. It was certainly well equipped to do so too: Not only was is massive in size, it seemed to be relatively well armed, as there were more than a dozen cannons on board.

As the last of the crew members loaded the cargo onto the ship, the last of the passengers & the group climbed aboard. There wasn't just travellers with them: there were mercenaries, merchants & several other aboard with them.

As The Heron left the dock, leaving solid land behind, the captain came onto the deck to address the passengers.

'Welcome to the Heron,' He shouted over the crashing waves. 'I'll remind you that you should be below deck by nightfall, & that if you steal any of the cargo I won't hesitate to throw you overboard, which will put your plans on hold. Otherwise, enjoy the ride,'

* * *

After the welcome from the captain, the day was spent sorting out cabins, exchanging stories with some of the other passengers & enjoying the view on deck. A few of them had already broke out the wine, so some of the party guests were already starting to get drunk.

Luckily for Zenia, no one realised that she was the Imperial messenger, so she was left alone. Unfortunately though, people had recognised Sonia, so she was busy trying to get away from them as they tried to ask her endless questions. This was amusing for her companions, as she desperately tried

Unfortunately, not everyone was enjoying the cruise. While most of the group was fine at sea, Ronan was busy being seasick over the side of the ship. to escape the crowd.

While this was going on, Ronan was being seasick over the side of the boat. While he had been on boats before, he wasn't as used to the rocking motion as the others.

'Finally!' Sonia shouted, sitting down. 'I thought I'd never get rid of them,'

'What did they ask you?' Doria asked.

'You know, the usual. 'What was Sovngarde like?' 'Did you really kill Alduin?' 'Do the Greybeards want you to become their apprentice?'. Ughh,'

'Well, at least you were able to lose them,' Maurmon said.

'That's true,' Sonia said, removing her mask. 'Hey Ronan! How's the trip for you so far?'

Ronan said something that sounded alot like 'Fuck you'.

'Aw. No need to be rude because you're sick,' Sonia taunted.

'I told you,' Ronan said, after a nausea spell. 'I get seasick easily. Why do you think I haven't-'

Ronan stopped & began vomiting over the side of the ship again as another spell took over.

'Just keep it over the side of my ship, hurling beauty,' The captain said, walking over. 'Otherwise you'll be the one cleaning it up,'

'What can we do for you, sir?' Cormer asked.

'You,' He said, gesturing towards Sonia. 'Your the Dragonborn, right?'

'Yes,' Sonia sighed. 'What do you want to know now?'

'You're travelling with the Imperial messanger. Where is she?' The captain asked.

'Why does it matter?' Baurest said.

The captain sat down. Ronan, deciding he was done vomiting, sat down too.

'I was given specific orders to make sure she boarded my ship,' The captain said in a low voice. 'Now that I've found you,' He gestured to Sonia. 'I know who the messanger is,' He gestured to Zenia. 'Figures the Chancellor would send an Imperial,'

'How do we know you wont throw us overboard while we sleep?' Ronan asked. 'You may be a Nord, but I know that kinsman can turn on kinsman,'

The captain said nothing & took out a piece of paper with the Imperial seal on it. He handed it to Ronan. Ronan began to read it, muttering something under his breath.

'Fair enough,' Ronan said handing the note back to the captain. 'I can't argue with orders,'

'I've alerted the crew so that if there is an attack, they will react accordingly,' The captain said, standing up. 'If there's anything you need, let me know,'


	13. Attack On The Seas

BOOM!

Zenia woke, startled. She could here several men shouting & she could here people running past her door.

She got up & quickly got dressed. As she was about to leave, she heard someone banging on her door.

'Zenia!'

Zenia opened the door, only to have Sonia stumble in fully armoured.

'What's going on?' Zenia asked. 'Where is everyone going?'

'Grab your armour & sword. We're being attacked by pirates,' Sonia said.

Sonia left the room as Zenia got ready. They made their way up to the deck. When they walked onto deck, they saw that there was another ship close by, obviously the pirate's, attacking The Heron with it's cannons. The crew members of The Heron returned fire, but they were severely outmatched.

Spotting the others, Sonia & Zenia ran towards then, ducking as the vessel was hit by another cannon.

'How's the fight going so far?' Sonia shouted.

'We're lucky we haven't been sunk yet,' Ronan shouted back. 'These pirates obviously don't know how to work a canno-'

He was interrupted by another cannonball, which landed a little too close to them. As they ducked, they heard the captain calling out to the people on deck.

'Get ready for a fight!' He shouted. 'If you can't wield a weapon, now is a good time to learn!'

As both vessels came into contact with each other, the pirates began to board The Heron. Unfortunately, some of the passengers were killed as they either had no weapons or had weapons but couldn't fight. The mercenaries however, were able to put up a bit more of a fight.

Thankfully, Ronan, Maurmon & Baurest had the sense to not go into werewolf form. That would do more harm than good. However, Sonia was taking full advantage of being Dragonborn.

While the crew, any mercenaries able to fight, any passenger still alive & the group were fighting for their lives they were outmatched, with several of the pirates weilding dual weapons.

As Zenia cut down a pirate, another one caught her by surprise. Just as he was going to deliver a crippling blow, he was stabbed through the chest from behind.

As the pirate fell to the side, the savior turned out to be Maurmon.

'Thank you,' Zenia said.

Maurmon smiled, but it soon turned serious again as a pirate ran at Zenia from behind. Rushing forward, he pushed her out of the way in time to intercept the pirate. As Zenia got up, she saw Maurmon being quickly overpowered & stabbed the pirate, causing him to fall.

'Thank you,' Maurmon said.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ship, Baurest was trying to defend a few of the injured crew members. He was able to hold off most of the bandits, but they were slowly outnumbering him.

He continued to fight, but was shot by an archer in the shoulder, causing him to drop one of his axes. Just as a pirate closed in, the pirate was struck in the back by what seemed to be a knife.

Baurest looked in the direction of the knife to see Doria had thrown it. Before he could thank her, he saw a pirate trying to take her from behind, causing him to throw one of his axes.

As the pirate fell, Baurest called out to Doria.

'Help me defend the crew!'

At the wheel, the captain was fighting back to back with Ronan. With both of them being experienced fighters, they weren't having too much trouble keeping the pirates away from the wheel.

'So,' the captain said. 'I hear that you're the Harbinger of the Companions,'

'Yeah,' Ronan replied casually, as if they weren't in the middle of a battle. 'I've always wondered: What's it like to be on the seas all the time?'

'This is coming from a man who was seasick a few days ago,'

'I've still wondered what it's like,'

'Let's say that there is never a boring trip,'

As they continued to fight, Cormer & Sonia were making their way towards the wheel.

'If we could just take care of these pirates in one shot!' Sonia said.

'The captain might have an idea!' Cormer replied. 'Come on!'

As they made their way over, the captain saw them & spoke:

'You two know how to use fire right? Burn their ship down!' He shouted over the fight.

Sonia & Cormer wasted no time burning the pirate's ship. With Cormer using all of his fire spells & Sonia using her Fire shout, the pirates were forced to evacuate. This had no effect, as the ship was soon submerged underwater & many of the pirates drowned. Those who survived were taken hostage, to be sent to the Imperial City Prison.

While a majority of the people aboard The Heron was unharmed or not critically injured, there were some that were killed. The captain had told the 'lucky' ones as he called them that they would send word back to their families, informing them of their loss.

After the prisoners had been dealt with, most of the day was spent either tending to the wounded or repairing the ship. The captain counted the cargo, in case some of the cannonballs had destroyed the cargo hold, which would of been a disaster. Luckily, most of the cargo was intact, with only a few crates lost or damaged.

'Take what you want from these crates,' The captain said to the remaining passengers. 'I have no use for them anymore,'

There wasn't anything of particular value in the crates (Considering most of it was destroyed or unusable). There were a few items, such as healing agents & food that could be used & a few septims, but nothing else.

Night had fallen & most of the crew had made what repairs they could. They were all below deck. The captain had told them that they would be in Cyrodiil by the end of the week, & in the City by the start of the next.

The captain really needed to get to the city. If they were attacked again, they wouldn't survive.


	14. The Imperial City

In the early hours of the morning, they had reached Cyrodiil. Around midday, the Imperial City came into view, the passengers made their way onto the deck. As The Heron made it's way along the Upper Niben, the crew began to move the cargo to the deck, making it easier for the dockworkers to access. The captain ordered that the pirates that they captured were put in chains & brought on deck, so that they could be handed over to the Watch.

As they came closer to the city, the passengers couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of Cyrodiil. Unlike Skyrim that was cold & full of forests, tundra & alpine, Cyrodill had pleasent weather & had plains that surrounded the Imperial City, with a few small forests & islands scattered around the lake. These were uninhabited, but the occasional mudcrab or Nirnroot could be seen.

'Well, it's nice to be back in Cyrodiil,' Sonia said. 'I forgot how beautiful it could be. When you're not being chased by animals,'

'Or being attacked by bandits,' Doria added.

'Aren't they the same thing?' Ronan added with a laugh.

As the vessel pulled into the Waterfront, the dockworkers began to unload the cargo, while the passengers began to climb off the vessel. As the group stepped off, they took a moment to look around the docks. There were a few other ships that were docked, with one serving as an inn, not a ship.

'So,' Ronan said, turning to Zenia. 'Where's your house? Not to mention your father,'

'Follow me,' Zenia said. 'It's close by,'

Zenia lead them behind the main Waterfront building, revealing the homes of what was believed to be the poor. However, Zenia explained:

'Many think these are the homes of the poor, but that's not the case,' Zenia explained.

'Then who do they belong to?' Cormer asked.

'People who aren't poor but know the right people,' Zenia said.

'Like the Grey Fox,' Sonia mumbled.

She lead them to one of the houses towards the edge of the area. The house had a fully equipped forge, with someone working metal there. As they approached, the blacksmith stopped his work & looked up. He looked at Zenia & a smile spread across his face. He was about Zenia's height & certainly looked like her. He was clean shaven & he looked young but was starting to show signs of aging, particularily in his oak-coloured hair.

Zenia ran up to him & gave him a hug, almost knocking him over in the process. As he hugged back, the rest of the group approached them.

'So, this must be your father,' Cormer said.

'Better known as the retired Commander of the watch,' Sonia said.

'So true,' He said. 'You must be the Dragonborn,'

'Yes,'

'Well, we can't stay outside for the rest of the day,' Treotas said. 'Come in,'

* * *

Once Zenia & her father had caught up, they spent the remainder of the day talking outside in the pleasant weather, spending some time out of their armour. Cormer, Zenia, Ronan & Doria were talking, Sonia was teaching Treotus a few smithing techniques she had picked up, and Baurest & Maurmon were practicing sword & axe drills while talking.

'So,' Baurest said. 'What do you think Quaceius needs Sonia for?'

'Who knows,' Maurmon responded, blocking his brother with his wooden sword. 'I just hope they let three werewolves into the palace,'

'Trust me, they won't know,' Baurest said, swiping at Maurmon with his wooden axe. 'It's not like we can't control ourselves. They don't make you part of the Circle if you can't control yourself. Not to mention you have to survive the ritual,'

'That's true,'

As they continued the fight, Baurest spoke up again.

'Can I ask you something?'

'You just did,'

'Haha. You're so funny. Anyway, I was just wondering how things are between you & Zenia,'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, it would seem,' Baurest began, blocking Maurmon. 'That you two are...'close','

'What kind of 'close','

'I mean, as in you're more than...friends,'

Maurmon took the chance to disarm Baurest. He did so, sending the wooden axe to the side.

'If you mean in that way, then no,' Maurmon said, pointing the sword at him. 'You're dead,'

Baurest said nothing & picked up his axe. They then continued the mock fight.

'Besides,' Maurmon said. 'It's not like she would be interested in me. I'm a werewolf,'

'That hasn't stopped you in the past,'

'We were in Hammerfell. Conversation over,' Maurmon put his sword down & walked off.

'Sure it is,' Baurest muttered.


	15. The Chancellor

**Okay, announcement time.**

**Something's come up. So starting from after this chapter, once a week on Sundays, I will update. This means the story will progress slower than I wanted. I will update again on Sunday. **

**Yes, it is short. Sorry.**

* * *

Eventually, they decided that they needed to see the Chancellor, so they began to make their way towards the White Gold Tower. As they walked through the city, they soon found themselves walking through the markets, with vendors trying to sell things to the crowd. While some were successful, others were failing, either losing the crowd's attention or being called a liar. A few of the merchants attempted to sell things to them as they passed, but they kept moving forward.

Making their way through, Sonia & Ronan began to notice that most of the city seemed to be made of stone, similar to Markarth. In fact, Ronan said that he would compare it to Markarth, stating that there wasn't much vegetation here. Sonia said that the city had plants more than Markarth, considering it's Dwarven roots. Ronan agreed, but argued that the Imperial City was flat terrain, not full of stairs. Sonia then asked what that meant, stating that it didn't make any sense.

As they approached the palace, one of the guards approached them, armour gleaming in the sunlight.

'Commander,' He greeted saluting him. 'Are you here for another shipment of armour?'

'No,' Treotas said. 'Tell the chancellor that the Dragonborn is here,'

Walking through the tower, they were escorted by Palace Guards to the Chancellor's chambers. While most citizens were only permitted on the first two floors, Treotas had gotten a glimpse of the upper levels, but only the hallways due to where he was posted.

As they entered the Chancellor's chambers, they saw a man sitting at the desk. He was a middle-aged Imperial, with slightly long ebony hair. He was growing a beard, & was wearing the robes of someone with high authority, but not the clothes of the Emperor. He did not wear the crown, so it wasn't surprising that some people didn't want to follow him.

'Ahh, Zenia. Good to see you have returned,' The chancellor said, getting up from his desk. 'Which one of your companions is Sonia Oakblade?'

'I am sir,' Sonia said, stepping forward.

'I'll need proof,' The chancellor said.

Sonia looked around. She saw that there was a bookcase filled with books on the tales that were commonly told around campfires & legends passed down in different provinces. There were several other things that were reserved for high class citizens (Or in this case, the acting Emperor of Tamriel) such as a wardrobe, no doubt filled with elegant robes. There was even a potted Nirnroot plant, which is considerably rare.

'Do you need this?' She said, pointing to the bookcase.

'No. Why?'

Sonia turned & faced it. 'FUS RO DAH!'


	16. Plan Of Action

**I know it's late. I had work, I've only just gotten back. It's a short chapter too.**

* * *

After Sonia had proven herself to be the Dragonborn (And the guards had been assured that the Chancellor was NOT being attacked), the Chancellor lead them to his war room. The room was dark, but had decent lighting around the main table. On the table (Which took up a large portion of the room) there was a map of Tamriel, with incredible details on all of the cities, holds & towns. There was even detail for the mountains. On certain locations of the map, there seemed to be flags. They were a sort of grey colour, & they seemed to be in the other provinces, near the capitals.

Around the room, there were several weapon stands, with a suit of armour that appeared to be Akaviri. There was a bookcase, containing information on the provinces, the history of Tamriel & several books on the wars that dotted the timeline. Towards the back of the room, there was the Imperial banner.

'So,' Sonia said. 'What's this 'emergency' that you need me for?'

'As you know,' Quaceius began. 'With the assasination of the emperor, Tamriel is in turmoil,'

'We didn't notice,' Ronan mumbled.

'Ronan, please,' Doria whispered.

'Here's the thing: When the body was discovered, there was this symbol on a paper near his body,'

He handed Sonia a piece of paper, with a symbol on it.

The exact same symbol on the note found on the bandits.

'Zenia,' Sonia said, turning to her. 'That note we found on the bandits...do you still have it?'

'Here,' She said, taking it out & handing it to her.

Sonia examined both notes. 'The exact same symbol,' She said.

'Let me see the note,' Quaceius said.

Sonia handed him both notes. After a quick examination, he seemed upset.

'So, what does it mean?' Cormer asked.

Quaceius sighed. 'I don't think this was a coincidence. I think someone wants Tamriel to suffer,' Quaceius said, putting the notes down. 'Look. I appreciate how far you have all come,' He said, talking to Sonia's companions. 'But, I don't think that Sonia would want to risk your lives against-'

'Against what?' Sonia said. 'Look. I know that these guys are all capable fighters. I've fought with all of them at least once. I know that if it came down to it, I can trust them,'

Quaceius looked at them. He sighed. 'Treotas-'

'I know sir. And I'm not going with them,'

'Okay. What's been happening is that there have been reports from Valenwood & Hammerfell,' Quaceius explained.

'What cities are the reports coming from?' Doria asked.

'In Valenwood, Falenesti. In Hammerfell, Sentinel,'

'Sentinel?' Baurest asked, concerned.

'What's happened in Sentinel?' Maurmon asked.

'We don't know. All we know that there have been reports of an assassination plot in Valenwood, & strange, dark skies in Hammerfell. It's not up to me how you approach this. You can choose to go to Valenwood first & Hammerfell later or vice versa. Here are your orders,'

Quaceius handed Sonia a scroll. 'Thank you sir,'

'Please,' The Chancellor said. 'Settle this quickly,'

As they went to leave, Sonia turned around. 'Chancellor!'

'Yes?'

Sonia took an elaborate scroll out. It seemed to be glowing. she handed it to the Chancellor.

'You're lucky I didn't sell this to the College of Winterhold,' she said. 'This belongs to you,'

The Chancellor took the scroll. 'It's been 205 years since this was stolen from the library. Thank you,'


	17. Part II: Boat To Valenwood

After spending a good week in the Imperial City, they had agreed to set sail for Valenwood. Surprisingly, Baurest & Maurmon didn't object, despite Sentinel being listed as one of the cities in distress. So, they had booked a ship to Valenwood, to find that it would be another five days until the ship came in. So they spent the week resting & looking around the city.

One night, Doria & Sonia were in a tavern, when there was a sellsword trying to be hired. He was a Breton, he had black hair & was wearing regular clothing, with a cloak & Steel Plate Boots. He had a sword, as well as a lute.

'Why hire an ordinary warrior or mage, when you can have both? Not to mention I'm a bard' they heard him say as they sat at the bar.

Sonia took interest, approaching him. 'How much are you charging?' She asked.

'500 septims,' the Breton replied.

Sonia winced at the price. 'I'll make you a deal,' she began. '100 septims,'

'500. Take it or-'

'And a brawl,'

The Breton though it over. He then stood up. 'Come on. Show me what you've got,'

They both got up & walked to the middle of the bar.

'Sonia-' Doria said desperately.

'Doria, I've killed plenty of dragons. I'm not going to bleed to death over a bar brawl,'

They both got into brawl position. The bartender spoke:

'If anyone is killed, I won't hesitate to call the guards. Otherwise, everybody stand back,'

The brawl commenced. Sonia managed to hit the Breton a few times, & he hit back. After a few exchanged hits, the sellsword went down on one knee.

'Alright!' he said, coughing. 'You win,'

Sonia lowered her fists. 'You fight well,' She said, wiping the blood from her lip.

The Breton got up. 'Here,' He said, giving Sonia the 100 gold. 'You've earned it,'

'Keep it,' Sonia said. 'Consider it your payment,'

The Breton nodded. 'So, where are we going?'

* * *

When the passenger ship pulled in (which was called 'Otus') the group soon learned that there wasn't a city that had a port in Valenwood, so they would be taking them to an outpost, which would be in reasonably close range of the capital, but still a far walk from it. The port was also quite small, as the Wood elves were not willing to destroy the forests they called home.

Thoreien, the sellsword that Sonia hired, hadn't left the city since he had come from High Rock, which was a good 6 years ago, so when Sonia told him they would be going to Valenwood, he was excited.

'They say that the Bosmer live in the trees. Do you think this is true?' He asked her.

'I'm not sure,' Sonia replied. 'I'd tell you if I knew. We'll find out, wont we?'

When they boarded the Otus, they soon found out that it was nowhere near as big & as elaborate as The Heron. It was also leaking a bit, so there was a danger of slipping. They were talking, while Thoreien played his lute.

'Ugh. From a well-paid cargo ship to a leaking passenger ship in need of repairs. What a week,' Ronan complained.

'Oh please,' Baurest said. 'It could be worse,'

'I'll agree with that,' Cormer said.

'Besides. It's not like we'll be attacked like last time,' Zenia said.

'What do you mean by that? We are on the open sea!' Ronan argued.

'Think about it, genius. The Heron was a well-known, highly paid ship. The Otus is a not-so-well-known ship that leaks. If I were a pirate, I would go after The Heron,' Sonia argued.

'She has a point,' Maurmon said.

Ronan tried to say something, but got cut off by the Imperial captain coming below deck.

'Not many people usually go to the same place in one journey,' He said. 'Usually I go to several provinces at once. I wonder what makes you lot so interested in Valenwood?'

'We just all happen to be travelling to the same place,' Sonia said.

The captain smiled at her. His smile then turned to a frown. 'You look familiar,'

'Really?' Sonia asked. 'Because I've never seen you before,'

'Well, I think I have,'

'You must have me mistaken with someone else. I'm just an adventurer with very good armour,'

'I guess you're right,' The captain said, going back up to deck.

When they were sure he left, Thoreien spoke: 'Why did you say that?'

Sonia sighed. 'Look, I'm just gonna say it: I'm the Dragonborn,'

Thoreien looked surprised. 'Really?'

'Not so loud! I'm trying to keep a low profile,' Sonia explained. 'If people figure out who I am, we're going to attract unwanted attention,'

'From those bandits that attacked us?' Zenia asked.

'For some reason, I think I've seen that symbol before,' Sonia said. 'I just don't know where,'

'What does that symbol look like?' Thoreien asked.

'Here,' Sonia said, taking out the hit note. 'Look at the symbol at the bottom of the page,'

Thoreien looked at the note. 'Harbinger?' He questioned.

'It's a rank in the Companions,' Ronan said.

Thoreien continued to read the note. 'I think I've seen that symbol too,' He said, handing the note back to Sonia. 'With one of my other clients,'

'Do you know where?' Cormer asked.

'No,' Thoreien said. 'The client was an adventurer. We saw it in a cave once. A few days later, someone sent hired goons on him,'

'Let me guess. He got killed?' Ronan asked.

'Yes. I was stranded in Hammerfell for a week,' Thoreien said with a laugh.


	18. In The Forest

**Considering that for the next three weeks I have no school work, I figured that I should update more often.**

* * *

The group was sleeping in peacefully (Or as peacefully as you could on a leaky boat) when the captain came in & woke them.

'Alright get up! We are in Valenwood!'

They woke up, grumbling at the captain. 'Shut up before I rip your throat out,' Ronan said under his breath.

'Well, at least we'll be off of this ship,' Zenia said.

'I agree. After a week in this bloody thing, It'll be good to be on dry land,' Sonia said.

As they climbed off the ship, they took a look around the makeshift port: It wasn't large like the Imperial City, and there were no permanent buildings, Just makeshift huts made of imported wood. But, the great forest that stretched across the province could be seen behind the port, a constant reminder that they could not expand any further.

'Well, this is certainly not a big port,' Ronan said. 'There's no inns. No markets. No-'

'No Nords stating the obvious,' Sonia said.

'Haha, you're so funny,' Ronan said sarcasticaly.

'Don't use sarcasm. That's my job,'

They made their way through, which didn't take long. They did manage to find a vendor that sold supplies, but it wasn't much. Not to mention that the vendor said that the next shipment of goods would be coming in for a few weeks.

'Let's hope we get to Falenesti fast,' Cormer said. 'It doesn't look like these supplies will last long,'

'And then, hope the Bosmer can spare some supplies,' Baurest said. 'Otherwise, this is going to be a long journey,'

* * *

They began to make their way through the forest. There wasn't an obvious path, so they often tripped over vines & tree roots. Some of the terrain was flat, so they made quick progress. But it always changed back to the harsh terrain fast.

A few hours into the trekk, & they somehow managed to find a clearing with a small lake. This was a blessing, as this gave them a chance to relax for a while.

Thoreien & Sonia were sitting on the rocks nearby. Doria & Baurest were also sitting on the rocks, but they were on the other side of the lake. Cormer, Ronan, Zenia & Maurmon were messing around in the pool.

'So, why are you in Valenwood?' Thoreien asked Sonia.

'If I tell you, you can't tell anyone,' Sonia said. 'If we get discovered, we might be as good as dead,'

'Alright. I understand,'

'We are on orders by the Chancellor to fing out what's going on around Tamriel,' Sonia explained, handing Thoreien the scroll. 'Here's the official document,'

While Sonia & Thoreien were talking, Maurmon & Zenia were messing around in the pool. There were originally swimming, but it soon esculated into a splash fight. It wasn't long before Cormer & Ronan joined in, which resulted in water going everywhere. Baurest & Doria laughed as Sonia eventually got pulled into the water, resulting in her pulling Thoreien down with her.

After a few hours, they settled down, deciding to camp at the small lake. They would continue the journey the next day.


	19. Long Nights

**Short chapter ahead. Just warning you. More of a description chapter really.**

* * *

Night had finally fallen. While normally this didn't bother them, tonight was different. Normally, the stars would light up the sky, or the aurora for those who lived in Skyrim, particularly in the far north. However, due to being in the most dense forest in Tamriel & the only known forest covering an entire province, there was no night sky, even in the small clearing. The only source of light they had was the campfire & even that didn't help much against the looming darkness. It was almost like the darkness of the forest was threatening to swallow their only light source.

Another factor was that much of the forest limited their vision, hence whenever there was an unexplained sound, they would all be on edge for a few minutes before trying to get back to sleep again. Another problem was that if they could explain the sound & it was something hostile, they would have to prepare for the worst, even though nothing happened. This happened several times throughout the night, which made them more on edge as time passed. At one point, they heard a wolf howling, so they were forced to stay awake for a good two hours while trying not to fall asleep in an attempt to make sure they weren't attacked.

In a last ditch attempt to get some sleep, they had one person on watch at a time. The only person that got to be on watch was Ronan because after about an hour, he was beginning to fall asleep. As he went to lie down, he knocked his armour, which was lying nearby, making a huge racket. This of course, woke the rest of the group as well as Ronan, who had to quickly assure them that they weren't under attack. Once everybody calmed down, they tried to go back to sleep & decided to forget about a watch person.

As the night progressed, it became progressively harder to sleep. Eventually, they grew tired of the constant interruptions & just sat around the fire for the remainder of the night, which luckily was only a few hours. By the time dawn broke, they were exhausted & while they wanted to sleep, they probably would of woken up at that time anyway. They had a long day ahead of them.


	20. Escorts & Soldiers

Sonia could of sworn she heard a bow being drawn behind them. As she turned around to check, hand on the hilt of her sword, she saw a figure, bow drawn.

'Don't move. All of you,'

They all turned & froze. In response, the figure drew his bow back further.

'Freeze. Or I'll put an arrow through all of you,'

Slowly, they raised their hands above their heads.

Upon closer inspection, Sonia discovered that the figure was a Wood elf. He was short, like all Wood elves, but taller than Doria. He had long hair & was wearing armour that was made of leather & some animal bones. He had dark hair & his eyes were dark.

'I am Sonia Oakblade,' Sonia said. 'We are here on the chancellor's orders,'

'The Dragonborn?' The elf questioned. 'Where are these 'orders','

Sonia handed the elf the scroll. The elf out down his bow & began to read. Once the elf was done reading, he handed the scroll back to Sonia.

'Well, in that case I'm Dondas,' He said, shaking Sonia's hand.

'Can you take us to Falenesti?' Baurest asked.

'I can show you the way. Follow me,'

Dondas began to lead them through the forest. Along the way, he asked questions about life outside of Valenwood.

'So,' He began. 'Three of you are from Hammerfell, three of you are from Skyrim, and the other two are from High Rock & Cyrodiil,'

'That's right,' Maurmon said.

'I've always wondered: Is it true that you live on the ground?' Dondas questioned.

''Is it true you live in the trees?' Thoreien asked.

'Yes,'

'Then yes for us too,'

For a few minutes, it was quiet. The group was finding it difficult to follow Dondas, as he moved at a fast pace. They were practically sprinting after him.

'How long until we reach Falenesti?' Zenia asked.

'Well, you had continued on your own, you would reach Falenesti in a few days,' Dondas began. 'But now that you have me, we'll be there by tomorrow,'

'Do you know shortcuts?' Doria asked.

'A few,' Dondas said. 'Most of them you wont be able to take, but there are a few that we can take on the ground.

After a day of what Dondas said was good progress, they made camp. Dondas then explained the hunting 'rules'.

'You may hunt in these forests,' Dondas said. 'But in return, you must not eat any vegetation & all meat on the animal must be eaten,'

'Why?' Thoreien asked.

'Because of the pact made by the first elves,' Dondas explained. 'We may live on these grounds, in exchange for protecting them, not destroying the vegetation & eating all animals we slay within three days,'

* * *

Unlike the previous night, the group was able to get some sleep. With reassurance that they wouldn't be attacked by Dondas, they were able to sleep for a couple of hours.

However, when they woke up they were certainly not alone.

Ronan woke up when he heard footsteps. He sat up & saw figures surrounding them, bows drawn.

'Guys! get up!' He shouted. 'We're surrounded!'

The group woke & immediatley drew their weapons.

'Don't,' Dondas said. 'Their footsoldiers for the king,'

'That's right,' One of them said. 'Kinsman, who are these travellers?'

'Here,' Sonia said. 'Read this,'

Read the script the leader told the other soldiers to lower their weapons.

'We are soldiers for King Athnis Lichenrun of Valenwood. We will escort you to Falenesti,'


End file.
